Max Verstappen supports Antonelli: “He reminds me of myself. He has talent, give him time”
Every Formula 1 driver’s season has its highs and lows, and that’s even more true for a rookie. This is the case for Andrea Kimi Antonelli, called by Toto Wolff to inherit a heavy legacy at Mercedes, following Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari at the start of 2025.
The young driver from Bologna, just 18 years old, has already shown glimpses of his talent — think of his pole position in Miami and his third-place finish in Canada — but he has also experienced some natural challenges: he lacks experience and needs time to develop fully.
During Thursday at Monza, the track hosting this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, Antonelli received a very important verbal boost from a four-time world champion. Max Verstappen, when asked about the current phase Antonelli is going through, did not hold back.
The Red Bull driver used strong words in support of the Italian, stressing that Antonelli has talent but also needs time to make mistakes, learn, and gain experience. According to Max, Andrea reminds him of himself: he needs to make errors before fully unleashing his potential.
“Yes, honestly, is he going through a difficult moment? I think what he’s experiencing is normal,” Max Verstappen said. “The problem is that some people probably make a bigger deal out of it than necessary. Mistakes happen in the first season. I think that’s normal. That’s also what I like about him. He’s not taking it easy or anything like that. He’s always giving his maximum effort, which reminds me a bit of myself.”
Max also emphasized a key word for almost all rookies in F1: patience. Especially for a driver who suddenly finds himself in a top team, carrying much more pressure compared to someone who started their career in a less ambitious team.
“Can he improve? Of course. But I know how talented he is. I can see it. He just needs a bit of patience. I think everyone needs a little patience because it’s not easy starting in a top-level team.”
“Of course, they’re not even fighting for many wins yet, which, if you start with a great car, probably makes things a little easier. I think he’ll do well. He just needs a little more time.”
v
Leave a Reply